Electric and hybrid vehicles that are powered, at least in part, by electricity are becoming increasing popular due to the demand for vehicles that emit reduced levels carbon dioxide as compared to vehicles that are powered solely by fossil fuels. This demand is being created by the nearly uniform consensus among the scientific community that carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to, if not being the sole cause of, global warming that is threatening the very existence of life on the planet.
The increase in the number of electric vehicles, however, is creating an unintended consequence that is threatening the safety of pedestrians. Due to the fact that an electric vehicle produces a nearly imperceptible engine sound, pedestrians are not able not hear the vehicles that are approaching them. This unsafe condition is made worse when the pedestrian is blind or vision impaired. Other persons who are at risk would include bicyclists, runners, and small children. In fact, an increasing number of hybrid car accidents involving pedestrians are being reported throughout the United States. In response to these safety concerns and accidents, several governments have begun to consider enacting legislation to address these issues. Representatives to the Congress of the United States have introduced “The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008” that is intended to protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury or death as a result of the operation of a silent vehicle. The Act requires the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study to determine how to protect the blind and others from being injured or killed by vehicles using hybrid, electric, or other silent engine technologies. Similarly, in California, a bill has also been proposed to study these safety concerns.
Accordingly, the present invention is intended to decrease the threat that silent vehicle engines pose to pedestrians and other persons.